New York state health official says no to fracturing

Dr. Howard Zucker said the decision against fracturing came after 4,500 hours of study.

Photo: Mike Groll, STF

ALBANY, N.Y - New York's acting Health Department commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, said Wednesday he would not recommend hydraulic fracturing in the state.

While Zucker seemed to take pains to point out that the data is not fully conclusive, he turned personal in his decision.

"Would I live in a community with HVHF based on the facts I have now?" Zucker said, referring to high-volume hydraulic fracturing. "Would I let my child play in the school field nearby, or my family drink the water from the tap or grow their vegetables in the soil? After looking at a plethora of reports … my answer is no."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called those comments the most powerful of Zucker's presentation. The decision comes after 4,500 hours of study by the department, Zucker said. The health review has been requested since 2012.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation will now complete the decision process by publishing a final study by early next year, department Commissioner Joe Martens said.

"I will then issue a legally binding finding statement prohibiting HVHF in New York state at this time," he said.

Cuomo said earlier he would be bound to whatever the "experts" decided "because I am not in a position to second-guess them with my expertise."

There have been a number of local municipalities across the state - even in those that don't sit on the Marcellus Shale - that have approved resolutions banning the practice. But there also have been dozens that have resolved to allow fracturing within their borders.